Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-10-07

Through the awful circle OF wheel Wlhseu
periods,
The TEMPEST of the twilight of all gods;
And higher than all the circling course they ran
The s,,ndown Of the spirit that was man
-Swinburne.
GALLAHER'S PEACOCK.
Mrs. Dennis Gallagher the second g is
silent since thee entered society occupies an
elegant if not entirely comfortable residence
OH the east side. The house has bay windows
everywhere, u cupola and tower. 1t has
grown AS the district has grown, from what
WINS called "Shanty Town" intoa tract of sur
passing apartment houses. 1t has grown as
Gallagher has grown fre4n Castle Garden
frescoer in whitewssh to a politician whose
barge has gathered golden sands by the banks
of the amber river of rum. 1t has grown as
Mrs. Ciallaher has grown from a thin woman
in a 80 Paisley shawl OF Sunday 10 Il stout
woman in a sale hide" saeque and SOLITARY
shtonesn in her ears Gallaher, in fact, is now
a magnificent drum major, socially speaking,
while Mrs Iiallaher is IA full brass band.
The only thorn in Mrs. Gallaher's ample
side has been the e. Washington Millards.
The G. Washington Millaris live opposite.
They are not people of color, because black is
not a color. and they are black When Gal
laher, like young Michael Angelo, was mix
ing pigments for the walls he was destined
later 10 own in fee simple, G. W. Willard was
a sleeping car porter on the Central Their
fortunes grew together and they became
rivals socially. They We're neck and neck in
the matter Of bay windows, and when Mil
lard mounted 4 cupola Galaher angrily saw
him and went him one better with the tower.
This won the game, AS the cupola had been
set in the center of the MilIarl roof and there
was no room for a tower unless built on
platform with supports.
The rivalry in display has been intensely
bitter between the wives. Consequently
when Galaber came home the other night
and saw the frown on the face of his better
half he knew something had happened The
dinner passed off in silence. When Gallaher
had taken postprandiai plunge in the "fisht
bowl and was wiping his mouth on a nap
kin, which has deafening monogram in
green embroidery and an emerald crest that
was lost by one of the Irish kings at the
fight by the Boyne water, Mrs. Gallaher said
to the bonnie:
"Ornrietten
''Yes madame
"Take the children to rowl their shkates an
the new cimint Soidewalk Don't be lettin'
thin tark to any odher childhren or ye
naden't come back. 10 ye moindF
Eyes, madame And the parents were
left to themselves.
Mrs Gallaher was silent for few mo-
ments, lost in sad and bitter musings. Gal
laher. understanding the situation, was ap-
parently absorbed in the large print OF a
newspaper waiting for her to speak. After
some minutes sic said furtively, in hoarse
whisper:
"Dinnisl"
"What"
"The navgur woman has pug darg"
whats a pug darg:'
"a dirty little haste wild black nose all
damned in an CLASH eyes"
AN what do she be dom wild pug dargf'
"Ladin it up an down all day long IN frint
av the house to shpoite me" She breathed
savagely and her eyes snapped with sup
pressed anger
Gallaher was aroused and angry too
"Kelly has shmall bull darg as IL chew the
head off'n him, he said.
The lady shook her head Its not Frinch
thave bull dargs.'
There was a silence, and each cast about for
a counter to this body blow that the Alillards
had struck, Mrs, Gallaher spoke first.
''Dinnis
"Whatf'
''Paycocks Is nice,
Whats paycorkst'
Its big burrud wild bulls eye feadthers
in its tail Ye seen EN- in the park
''Loike painted turkeyF
That same
Aha
The next day Galiaher purchased the finest
peacock that money could buy
The peacock arrived the next evening on a
dray. The huge coop was taken into the
laundry room, in the basement and the
family gathered for d private view on the eve
of the public display When the coop door
was opened it stepped out, took one, two and
then three suspicious steps craning its purple
neck and looking about The family stared,
but said nothing Neither did the peacock.
Has it a song" asked the servant girl
breaking the silence
Faith, its no dickey burrud said Mrs
Gallaher, cOntemptuOusly.
Ave Orter feed it said Dennis Gallaher
Jr. aged l.. What does 1t eat, mar
"Oh. thin things ate chaneyware and
rocks and cblHgle nails, said his mother
airily She was fashionably familiar with tine
gastric weaknesses OF all fashionable pets.
Dennis, il tried it with broken cup, hut
it had no appetite When some corn was put
in the cup it took three grains one at time
4.
prefer Dennis, Jr.
"Why don't it blow up its tail, mag
asked he.
There's no CRASH here. When it gifts al
the lawn yell see it pull the stirring"
Having inspected ii till they couldn't rest
the bird which, after discussion and i'll defer
ence to the father, had been called Robert
Emmett was locked up in the wagon house ii
the rear of the lot Mrs Gallaher was moi
satisfied She decided to call it Lucille, bu
had been physiologically overruled- When
the family retired to bed Mrs. Gallaher.
mind was filled with visions ofhe front yard
converted into a tropical jungle, in which
peacocks, birds of paradise and new bOnnet'
of elegant plumage stood in line upon the
limbs OF the trees and poured forth their JOY
in melodious rOuades and thrilling r0unde
lays
1t was the dead hour of night
Mrs Galaher'S face had sunken in its sof
pillow and her rosy features were wrapped ii
lace bonnet de mutt, which came down ovei
her ears and shut out all earthly sounds. i
had cherry ribbon strings tied under her chin
All was still with one exception, which wa
Gallaher At regular intervals he snored de
&c Il, 4,